Quantico Police Department – Evening –

Hotch and Rossi followed Det. Grant into the interrogation viewing room. Morgan was on the other side of the two-way sitting looking blankly at the floor lost in thought.

"He hasn't said a word since we brought him in over an hour ago. Whenever I go in to talk to him he just asks about the victim."

"Penelope Garcia." Hotch said.

"What?"

"The victim…her name is Penelope Garcia."

"Yes. Right, I'm sorry."

"So, do you think he did it?" Asked Grant.

"No way in hell!" Rossi barked.

"Someone is trying awfully hard to make it look like he did."

Hotch glanced at Rossi and then to the Detective who'd called them in.

"We need to talk to the witness."

"You know I can't let you do that, Agent."

"Then give us her name we'll check her out on our end." Rossi insisted.

"Look Agents, I've already gotten a call from your Unit Chief he's made sure I understood that you were not to touch this case!"

"At least let us talk to him, please!"

Exasperated, the detective looked at each agent; he knew how they felt but he had his orders. This team was relentless that's what made them good at what they did. He couldn't blame them really. He so wanted to help them he felt he owed them for all they had done for him in the past.

"Look Agents, I need to go check on the forensics and witness reports."

"We understand."

"Uh, I'll be gone at least fifteen minutes…the lock on that interrogation room tends to give us some problems…a slight turn to the left and it pops right open."

Hotch and Rossi looked at the detective for a few seconds and nodded acknowledging his hidden meaning. Then with a slight grin and nod Norton headed out of the room leaving the two alone in the room.

Potomac General Hospital –

Reid and JJ listened intently to the surgeon as he gave the details of Garcia's status. Things sounded grim but both of them searched for any hidden meanings in the doctor's words that would give them hope and a thread to cling to.

"Ms. Garcia was shot at close range and the bullet entered the right side of her abdomen and nicked a rib and then excited out her back barely missing her spine. That's the good news."

The agents shifted trying to find courage to hear the rest.

"We repaired the damage but she's lost a lot of blood. We're monitoring her for complications as a result and we have to wait and see how the next twenty-four hours go."

"Can we see her?" JJ asked.

"She's in a coma but I don't see why you can't see her."

"When will she wake up?"

Reid wasn't sure why he'd asked a question that he already knew the answer to; nerves he surmised.

"I'm afraid I don't have an answer for you; the sooner the better."

"She's going to be in ICU for now. I'll let the nurses know that you're on your way up."

"Thank you doctor."

JJ pulled her phone from her pocket and dialed Hotch to give him an update. The thought of Morgan hurting Garcia just didn't make sense and she knew that they had a fight on their hands to clear his name and find the real UnSub.

Quantico Police Department-

Morgan did not react to the sound of the door opening his eyes remained focused on the ground. Rossi shot a concerned look at Hotch as the two men took the empty seats on the other side of the table.

"Please tell me she's okay."

His voice betrayed his efforts to not show emotion and his friends immediately knew he was barely hanging on.

"We've got fifteen minutes. Start talking."

Hotch didn't have time to address the mess of a man that sat before them he needed information and he needed it now.

"I need to know how she is."

"Morgan, you're in a lot of trouble…"

He looked up for the first time since being locked in the small dimly lit room.

"Please just tell me…I need to know…"

"It's bad. She's in a coma."

"I need to see her."

"I'm afraid that's not going to happen anytime soon."

Morgan had become like a son to Rossi and he didn't like what he saw sitting across from him. Then the tears came; rare tears that none of them had every seen before, began to fall and his body began to tremble.

"I didn't do this…Please I need to be with her! I didn't hurt her."

"Morgan, what happened? Did you hear or see anything?"

"Tara…she was supposed to come for dinner."

"Who's Tara?" Rossi asked.

"A-A-woman Penelope met last week…she's like taken her under her wing…that's just like her, you know? Always wanting to help…"

"What's Tara's last name?"

Hotch checked his watch waiting for an answer.

"I don't know, Penelope never said." Is she…is that why you won't answer my question?"

"Did you see Tara before this happened?"

"Voices…I heard the doorbell…I had gotten out of the shower…I heard voices…"

"Morgan hurry we're running out of time! What else?"

"Hotch! I-I-don't know! I heard a gunshot…I ran downstairs…she was just lying on the floor…so still I tried to run to her…she wasn't moving…"

"Five minutes, Hotch!"

"Morgan, think!"

"I saw the blood! I grabbed my phone and dialed 9-1-1 then I-I don't remember anything else until I woke up with a headache and SWAT rushing through my door!"

"Why did you have a gun, Morgan?" Rossi asked.

"Gun? I-I-don't know! I didn't do this! I swear I didn't do this you guys know me; I love Garcia! I would never hurt her!"

The conversation was interrupted by a light knock on the glass. Hotch and Rossi stood quickly and glanced toward the dark window.

"No! Don't leave, Penelope…?"

"I can't lose her, I can't! You have to find who did this!"

"Look kid, we know you didn't do this but we've been ordered not to work the case…and there's an eyewitness that says you pulled the trigger."

Morgan collapsed against the back of the chair and closed his eyes. Everything seemed hopeless; he knew how these things worked and all the evidence pointed to him. It didn't matter, guilt or innocence…if he lost Garcia life for him would end and it didn't matter where he spent his final days.

Rossi followed Hotch out of the room and joined Detective Grant in the hallway.

"Thanks you didn't have to let us talk to him. You risked everything for us and we won't forget it." Hotch began extending his hand to the man.

"I think I owe you guys…you've saved my ass on some pretty difficult cases; it was worth the risk." He shook their hands and headed out into the main room of the precinct. Just as he neared his desk he turned and looked around the area before speaking again.

"I'll stay in touch. As you can see I have a ton of work on my desk…In fact, I'm not even sure what's in that pile of crap…witness reports, forensics…not really sure. In fact, if someone was to take a file I probably wouldn't even miss it."

The three men smiled and parted company but not before Rossi casually grabbed the top two files from the detective's desk and headed toward the front door.

Tara walked quickly to her car elated and beaming as she made her way through the parking lot. Things couldn't have gone better and now Derek Morgan was sitting getting a taste of what he'd put her father through and it was just the beginning. Her performance had been convincing as she retold her story of a crazed out of control man who'd suddenly lost control and attacked her new friend. She'd told the cute young officer how she'd watched from the hallway and unbeknownst to the man, saw and heard the yelling and screaming and then the gunshot. She'd always been able to produce tears at the drop of a hat and tonight was no different.

Detective Grant sat rubbing his temples as he looked over the forensics report. Gunshot residue was found on Morgan's hands and t-shirt. The eyewitness was very convincing and no matter what questions were thrown at her she was consistent and very believable. He didn't want to believe that the agent was capable of such a heinous crime but the preliminary evidence was stacked against him and he couldn't justify releasing him so he motioned to the young officer who'd spoken with the witness earlier. When the man arrived at his superior's desk he handed him the reports and with a heavy sighed gave him the order to do what he hoped he would not have to do.

"Book him."